So many people do not take the time to even think about what or how they are eating; they simply stuff their faces as quickly as possible with whatever slop is most convenient. In the process they are consuming food that is destroying their bodies and failing to provide the nourishment we require.
Be careful not to overeat. We are living in an era of supersized meals where we want the most bang for our buck, but the fact is many people are eating many more calories than they need — then aggravating this by living sedentary lives in which they fail to burn the calories they consume. Eat only when hungry, and know the difference between hunger and thirst. People today are consuming soft drinks in ridiculous amounts, and these sodas are actually diuretics that cause the body to rid itself of water. Thirst, in turn, is often mistaken for hunger, so instead of drinking water the person eats when he shouldn’t.
Eat simple, plain foods such as bananas, apples, oranges, tomatoes, celery, broccoli, green beans and carrots. While these fruits and vegetables do not typically evoke a mouth-watering response, they contain many if not most of the key nutrients we need on a daily basis to maintain cell health and maintenance. Take advantage of eating fresh apricots, which are in season now and are richer in iron and minerals than most other fruits. Apricots contain vitamins A and B, help prevent anemia and are excellent body cleansers. They also help stave off constipation, bronchitis, obesity, gallstones, pimples and diarrhea.
It is even OK to skip meals once in awhile. The food you eat will harm the body much more than the meals you miss. It is better to skip dinner or eat a very light healthy snack of fruit or vegetables if all you have to eat is a frozen dinner or stuff you can pour out of a box and heat up in a few minutes. Frozen and packaged foods are packed with horrible additives and preservatives that do not exist in nature and to which our bodies are not meant to be exposed. Refined and manufactured foods sit in the gut, putrefy and poison the body.
Our children today are loaded up like never before on hot dogs, burgers, pizza, candy, soda pop and other unhealthy foods. This garbage is polluting their bloodstreams like factory’s waste polluted our country’s rivers and lakes during the rise of American industry. Add in the chemical poisons distributed by drug companies and promoted by physicians because of “hyperactivity,” “attention deficit disorder” and other invented “disorders” and many of our children are essentially walking toxic waste dumps. Did you know that in order for something to be classified as a “drug by the Food and Drug Administration it has to contain compounds not found in nature? Think about that, and think about whether God intended us to invent chemicals to medicate our bodies — which by the way are composed of the same elements of which the Earth is made.
A healthy diet of natural foods ensures that the body is taking in the nutrients it needs and eliminating what it doesn’t. There is no accumulation of acids and poisons that distort the body’s chemistry and slows or shuts down the life force that permeates all living things. Fresh, natural foods are great medicine, so eat them for all of your meals and you will look better, have more energy and start living a healthier life. And include a glass or two of wine — it can only help.

Anthony Scarano is not a doctor. He is an 88-year-old Evergreen Park resident, winemaker and certified naturopath. Suggestions in this space are solely the opinions of Mr. Scarano based on years of independent study and personal experience, and may not be beneficial to health. Wine should be consumed in moderation, as overindulgence may be harmful to health.